Froken Frankenstein Chocolatier - Choklad Havtorn Kakaohalt 46% (bar) - Oct. 25, 2025

Chocolate of the Day

Froken Frankenstein Chocolatier
Choklad Havtorn Kakaohalt 46% (bar)
Good ++
Weight: .97 oz. (27.5 g.) / 1.94 oz. (55 g.) in total bar
Calories: 155 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $N/A - gift 
Purchased from: N/A - gift from Toni 

God morgon (good morning) and welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Fruits Theme Week.

Today's Choklad Havtorn Kakaohalt 46% (bar) from Froken (Miss) Frankenstein Chocolatier was from Oland, Sweden. 

This chocolate contained havtorn (sea buckthorn)--a plant with small, tart orange fruits (berries).*

Aroma and flavor notes included: creamy milk chocolate with very faint, gently tart-sweet fruit (light persimmon, orange berry, kumquat, sweetened sour orange).

Texture: rich, creamy milk chocolate with a satisfying melt layer of berry-infused sugar on one side. The tiny, crunchy, berry sugar crystals added a bit of texture and very subtle flavor. I also enjoyed the leaf motif on the bar. The "leaves" were gently highlighted with cocoa butter "paint." 

I appreciated the authentically extra-creamy milk chocolate texture; the subtle cocoa; the sugar with the berry juice; and the lovely botanical illustration by a local Swedish artist.** 

I felt very grateful to taste sea buckthorn in a new way, thanks to my friend who brought this bar back with her--all the way from the island of Oland in Sweden. (Thank you Toni!) This was a lovely virtual travel experience.

Ingredients: Cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, sugar, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), vanilla extract, sea buckthorn juice (from a sea buckthorn garden in Oland).

Allergen-related information: May contain nuts and soy.

*Sea buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides) has been used by humans for thousands of years as a food and for medicinal uses. The berries, leaves and seeds are edible. (Not to be confused with other"buckthorn(e)" berries that are often in a different family and may or may not be edible/enjoyable to sample.)

**Emma Tinnert is a biologist, artist and illustrator that lives in Orland, Sweden.

Fazer Confectionery - Sea Buckthorn and Salty Caramel Chocolate (bar) - Feb. 10, 2020

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fazer Confectionery
Nordi - Sea Buckthorn and Salty Caramel Chocolate (bar)
Good
Weight: 1.12 oz. (32 g.) / 3.35 oz. (95 g.) in total bar
Calories: 170 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Finland Theme Week.

This Sea Buckthorn and Salty Caramel bar was from Fazer Confectionery (Ventaa, Finland). Fazer is a large company with a big brand portfolio, and a substantial bakery, confectionery and industrial export business.

The first sensory input that registered with me when I bit into this bar was an authentic sea buckthorn berry aroma and flavor. Many folks outside of northern Europe may not be familiar with these bright orange-yellow edible berries that grow on bushes.*

The berries have a mild sweetness and slight astringency and are high in Vitamin C. I found them closer to milder varieties of gooseberries or goji berries than to berries we see in the U.S. (e.g. strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or other berries we use for eating or in pies and jams). I hope to try these festively orange berries, dried or fresh, in the future.

Small caramel/toffee chips added sweetness to this chocolate.

*Also known as seaberries, sea buckthorn berries (and other parts of the plant) also have been used historically across northern Europe for medicinal purposes. 

Note: photos have been delayed this week. The image of  kayak on the water (on the package surrounding today's bar) was particularly relevant as this bar was enjoyed the day after an unusually windy and high tide day near the San Francisco Bay where I live, to the delight of windsurfers and kite surfers around the bay. Water levels were high enough to support small sailboats as well as canoes and kayaks. Chocolate is a wonderful outdoor snack.